Local

La Tuna Fire, one of the largest in LA history, burns thousands of acres

The La Tuna Canyon fire burns in the hills above Burbank, California, early Sept. 2, 2017.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
The San Gabriel Fire Department is one of several agencies helping fight the La Tuna Fire, burning in the hills above Burbank on September 2, 2017.
Kyle Stokes / KPCC
A hillside smolders near Bel Air Drive, which the Burbank Police Department shut down on Saturday, Sep. 2, 2017 during the La Tuna Fire.
Kyle Stokes / KPCC
The La Tuna Fire burns near Eton and Amber streets in the hills above Burbank on September 2, 2017.
Kyle Stokes / KPCC
A crew prepares to fight the La Tuna Fire, burning in the hills above Burbank on September 2, 2017.
Lakeside Fire District/Twitter
The La Tuna Fire burns in the hills above Burbank, early September 2, 2017.
Burbank Police Department/Twitter
The La Tuna Fire burns in the hills above Burbank, early September 2, 2017.
Burbank Police Department/Twitter
A fire burning in the Sun Valley area on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 that forced the closure of the 210 Freeway in both directions.
NBC L.A.
A fire burning in the Sun Valley area on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 that forced the closure of the 210 Freeway in both directions.
NBC L.A.
A fire burning in the Sun Valley area on Friday, Sept. 1, 2017 that forced the closure of the 210 Freeway in both directions.
NBC L.A.
A general map of the burn area of the La Tuna Fire burning near Burbank and Sunland, as of early afternoon on Saturday, September 2, 2017.
Los Angeles Fire Department / Twitter

Many roads have been blocked off roads and the smoke is thick near the La Tuna Fire, burning in the hills above Burbank, early September 2, 2017.
Kyle Stokes / KPCC

ROAD CLOSURES

By late Saturday, the eastbound 210 Freeway was closed at Wheatland to Lowell avenues, and the westbound 210 Freeway was closed from the 2 Freeway to Osborne Street.

The fire initially shut down the 210 on Friday afternoon, leaving a 12-mile stretch of the freeway closed going into the long Labor Day weekend.

Smoke forecast for La Tuna Fire from Saturday to Monday.

AIR QUALITY

Due to poor air quality, the Burbank Police Department is asking people to stay indoors, limit your recreational activities and keep pets indoors.

KPCC's Chief Financial Officer Elsa Luna lives in Sun Valley, just a few blocks from Burbank.

She and her family planned to stay indoors Saturday with the windows closed.

"The air quality is definitely not good," Luna said. "I felt it first thing this morning. I have heavy allergies. The smoke outside makes it pretty thick and a little muddy, you can definitely smell smell some type of fire or amber."

Luna also said ash has been falling from the sky sporadically.

The South Coast AQMD has issued a smoke advisory for the East San Fernando Valley, the West San Gabriel Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains. That covers the areas of Sunland, Tujunga and La Crescenta, as well as other communities.

Brace Canyon Park resident Frank Kayden was woken up by his son and daughter alerting him to the fire.

“So I got out of bed and went in the backyard, and I can see the flames come on over,” Kayden said.

Police later arrived at his door to told him to evacuate. He spent the night at the Red Cross Shelter at McCambridge Park.

More than 800 firefighters from LAFD were battling the La tuna Fire, which quickly grew to become one of the largest in the city of L.A.'s history. Crews from several other fire departments including the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, L.A. County and Angeles National Forest, were assisting.

Mayor Garcetti on Saturday morning incorrectly called it the largest fire in the city's history. In 1961, the Bel Air fire burned 6,090 acres and destroyed 484 homes, according to LAFD historical archives.